Retired US Judge U.W. Clemon says he is now the attorney of record for Birmingham school Superintendent Craig Witherspoon in his face off with the Birmingham Board of Education. (The Birmingham News file)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Birmingham Board of Education has canceled a scheduled 5 p.m. meeting at which it had been scheduled to consider action on city school Superintendent Craig Witherspoon's contract.

The decision to call off the meeting was announced slightly more than two hours before it was scheduled to begin. A variety of people and groups, ranging from Witherspoon's supporters in the community to state school Superintendent Tommy Bice, had urged the cancellation.

A 4 p.m. rally in Linn Park, organized by Witherspoon's supporters, will proceed as planned.

The school board Thursday afternoon called the special Good Friday board meeting to discuss Witherspoon's contract. Five of nine board members have expressed dissatisfaction with Witherspoon's performance.

Board members Emanuel Ford, Alana Edwards, Virginia Volker, Edward Maddox and Tyrone Belcher have for months complained that Witherspoon doesn't communicate with the board, district employees or the community.

Supporters of the superintendent, who has been on the job since March 2010 and has a little more than a year left on his contract, have created online petitions in hopes of keeping Witherspoon as superintendent, and announced the rally and news conference in Linn Park.

"Everything Birmingham city schools does should be about our children," said Randall Woodfin, founder of the community advocacy group Citizens Are Responsible for Education, or CARE, who is organizing the rally. "I urge that our education leaders provide the leadership stability needed to make Birmingham city schools successful."